5 "Must Do" Activities For Your kids this summer

              My kids are out of school for the summer and while they both have a few planned activities they have a lot of unstructured time.  This is by design as I am a firm believer in kids having free time. They are thrilled about it, but I’m also nervous. 

Why? Because I know when they aren’t out of the house, their default will be on screens.  That means my days will toggle between working and managing their screen time. We have screen time limits, but it requires my enforcement and sometimes that falters, because I am not always paying attention and as teenagers they are still building their own self regulation skills. So what is a parent to do? 

I recently listened to a great Podcast with some great solutions. In episode 82  of  Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting, Dr Lisa outlines 5 “must do” activities for kids for this summer. 

1.  Get more sleep - All kids need the proper amount of sleep.  While summer is a great time to stay up later and be a little looser about bedtimes, be sure that kids are sleeping enough and even making up for lost sleep that might have accrued during the busy school year.
2. Learn a New Skill -  Encourage your child to learn a new skill. Older kids can use YouTube to learn a skill like how to crochet, play an instrument or even learn to cook. 
3. Be of Service - Have kids do something that gives back to their community.  Older kids can Volunteer at a Food Pantry, or have a bake sale to raise money for a cause of their choice. Younger kids can make a lemonade stand or do trash pick up at a local park.
4. Meet New People - Find ways to get your kids out there to meet new people, both new kids and adults. Younger kids can do this at camp, with counselors and other campers.  Older kids can reach out to meet their neighbors or local shopkeepers.
5. Take Safe Risks -Find ways to get your child safely out of their comfort zone  Younger kids could try climbing a tree, learning, do a challenging puzzle, take a longer walk or hike. Older kids could try taking public transportation, participate in a new sport or activity, or get their first job.​

Thank you Dr Lisa for providing awesome ideas for how to frame our summer with goals that promote healthy growth and development for my kids while also honoring their unstructured time. The best way to get buy in is to involve your kids in the conversation about how to make some of these happen in your household this summer.  Dr Lisa has some great resources on the Podcast with more ideas and how to make this work for younger kids too.  Use this LINK to find the Podcast.
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Have a fantastic summer.

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